The Government of Alberta announced in October that the Ministry of Seniors would be committing $70 million over a five-year span to enhance safety in seniors’ lodges and apartments across Alberta.
On Monday, Feb. 23, Barrhead-Morinville-Westlock MLA Maureen Kubinec announced that the Barrhead and District Social Housing Association (BDSHA) would receive up to $910,000 in funding to cover the costs of installing sprinkler systems in three facilities.
“The Prentice government has decided that seniors’ safety would be a priority,” BDSHA Chief Administrative Officer Dorothy Clarke said, adding the government decided that over a five-year period they would try and install sprinkler systems into all of the senior housing facilities under the Alberta Social Housing Corporation name.
Jubilee Manor, Goldencrest, and the Hillcrest Lodge will benefit from the funding, and will receive new sprinkler systems along with over 24,000 government owned and supported seniors units in Alberta. The facilities were built between 1960 and 1990, prior to sprinkler systems becoming mandatory
Clarke said the three Barrhead facilities are currently without sprinkler systems.
“If there’s a fire now, it doesn’t have a sprinkler system so automatically nothing goes off, just your bells and whistles,” Clarke said. “Everybody must get out immediately, but with a sprinkler system, the sprinklers go off and there’s a little more time.”
Safety is an important factor for Clarke, and seeing this money come from the government is exciting news.
“It’s something that needs to be done,” Clarke said. “I am excited that we got the money and we don’t have to do it on our own, but safety is an issue, especially with older buildings and seniors.”
Last December Clarke, along with other management bodies across Alberta, was asked to submit a property and operations assessment so the government could prioritize which facilities were facing the biggest risk.
“The management bodies were required to give information on which buildings have sprinklers, the age of buildings, make-up of buildings,” Clarke said, adding the building structure was also an important factor.
Details are still unclear as to the specifications of the project, but Clarke said she expects them soon.
“The specifications will say exactly when it should be, when the tenders should be out, that will all be outlined,” Clarke said.
This initiative is in response to a nursing home fire that occurred on Jan. 23, 2014 in L’Isle-Verte, Quebec.
“There was a huge fire in a complex in Quebec where people died,” Clarke said.
The fire claimed the lives of 32 seniors, a tragedy that the province of Alberta is hoping to avoid.
“There might not have been a sprinkler system, or people can’t get out quick enough, seniors of course have mobility issues as well,” Clarke said, adding this is the reason the government is pushing for the project.
Further information will be provided after Clarke receives the specifications, with a detailed outline of when the project is expected to begin, and be completed by.
